A Guide to Online Therapy

What is Talk Therapy?

Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, is a form of treatment aimed at relieving emotional distress. It involves talking about, examining, and gaining insight into thoughts and difficulties faced by individuals. There are several approaches to psychotherapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy, which helps people overcome unhealthy thought patterns to feel less depressed and stressed. Therapy helps people develop healthier, more effective habits. Grounded in dialogue, talk-therapy provides a supportive environment that allows you to talk openly with someone who’s objective, neutral and nonjudgmental. You and your psychiatrist will work together to identify and change the thought and behavior patterns that are keeping you from feeling your best. By the time you’re done, you will not only have solved the problem that brought you in, but you will have learned new skills so you can better cope with whatever challenges arise in the future.

What is an Online Therapist?

An online therapist is a licensed behavioral health professional who helps individuals relieve stress and depression through developing better strategies to deal with unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.

What is the Difference Between a Therapist and a Psychiatrist?

Therapists have bachelors or masters level degrees and are board certified. Therapists provide therapy and support, but do not prescribe medications. Individuals typically see a therapist more frequently than a psychiatrist, as often as 3-4 times monthly. Therapists typically offer less expensive appointments than psychiatrists.

A psychiatrist has more extensive education and training. Psychiatrists provide therapy, can make diagnoses, and can prescribe medication.

What are the Different Types of Therapists?

Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC): LADC’s specialize in helping individuals suffering from substance use disorders. LADC’s will help individuals work through unhelpful thoughts and behaviors causing them to use drugs and alcohol.
LMFT or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT): LMFT’s work with couples on developing healthier, more supportive relationships.
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC): LPC’s treat many different types of behavioral health conditions
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW): Like LPC’s, LCSW’s treat many different types of behavioral health conditions.

How Much Training do Therapists Receive?

All therapists have masters levels degrees in psychology or therapy. Therapists are also required to pass certification tests, through accrediting organizations like the National Board for Certified Counselors, to ensure they are properly educated in the field of therapy. After completing schooling, and passing their licensing test, therapists receive several years of field training before being able to independently treat clients.

What are the Different Types of Therapy?

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT): The ultimate goal of CBT is to replace negative thoughts and actions with productive behaviors that make the individual feel equipped to overcome difficult situations. CBT involves analyzing stressful thoughts, and reframing the thoughts in a more realistic way.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): This type of therapy emphasizes acceptance of uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and behaviors rather than struggling with them. DBT helps individuals develop new skills, like coping methods and mindfulness practices, so that the individual has the power to improve unhealthy thoughts and behaviors

Desensitization or Exposure Therapy: This type of therapy helps people overcome phobias or obsessive compulsive disorder through repeated exposure to a given trigger of fear. During treatment, a person works with a therapist to identify the triggers of their anxiety and learn techniques to avoid performing rituals or becoming anxious when they are exposed to them. The person then confronts whatever triggers them in a controlled environment where they can safely practice implementing these strategies.For example, someone who is fearful of the dark will be asked to sleep with the lights off, repeatedly to overcome their fear of the dark.

Motivation Enhancement Therapy (MET): This type of therapy is especially useful for young adults or individuals with substance use problems who aren’t quite ready to change their behaviors. Motivation Enhancement therapy helps individuals see the difference between their current situation, and where they aspire to be in the future. The counselor than works with the individual to form a plan to reach positive future goals. This type of therapy actively avoids confrontation, and allows the individual to take ownership in the sessions.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR): This type of therapy is used to treat post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR replaces negative emotional reactions to difficult memories with less-charged or positive reactions or beliefs. Performing a series of back and forth, repetitive eye movements for 20-30 seconds can help individuals change these emotional reactions.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: This type of therapy helps you identify self-defeating thoughts and feelings, challenge the rationality of those feelings, and replace them with healthier, more productive beliefs. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is a form of CBT.

What Services do Online Therapists Provide?

Listening

Working through specific types of unhelpful thought patterns

Comforting clients

Working through past trauma or unfortunate childhood events

Teaching clients mindfulness skills such as deep breathing, meditation, and more

Helping improve/change clients unhelpful thinking styles and behaviors

Helping family members interact better and mend relationships

Reducing behavioral health symptoms such as stress and depression

Teaching individuals better socialization and communication skills

Guiding clients through crisis, such as breakups, grief, suicidal thoughts, and more

Referral to a Psychiatrist for medication

What Should You Look for in an Online Therapist?

Experience: All therapists have a masters degree in therapy or psychology, and have been board certified. However, after completing schooling therapists will have different levels of experience in treating patients. Certain therapists will also have specialization in treating specific behavioral health conditions, like depression or substance use. Many therapists specialize in treating specific ages.

Insurances Accepted: It’s a good idea to check if your therapist accepts your insurance before getting your visit. It’s also a good idea to check with your health insurer to confirm what your co-pay for the visit will be. If you are a self-pay patient, or do not have any insurance, your visit with e-Psychiatry may be slightly more expensive.

Gender: It’s important that you feel comfortable sharing private thoughts with your psychiatrist. e-Psychiatry allows you to select your preferences for the gender of the psychiatrist you are matched with.

Certifications: Providers with advanced board certifications from organizations like the National Board of Certified Counselors, often have more education and experience in treating patients.

Why Choose Online Therapy Over In-Person Therapy?

More Choice: Over 75% of people have inadequate access to behavioral health providers in their city. With e-Psychiatry you can connect with top therapists from across your entire state via secure videoconferencing. Instead of having to settle with a sub-par therapist in your local area, e-Psychiatry matches you with the top therapists from across your state based on your preferences for the therapist including: Gender, religion, experience, specialty, languages spoken, and type of therapy provided.

No Travel Costs: Most people have to travel outside of their city for therapy. This means expensive rides to your appointment, and carving extra time out of your work day. e-Psychiatry removes geographical barriers to care, by allowing you to see your therapist from the comfort of your home.

Better Follow-Up: Typical in-office providers will only see you a couple of times a month, and will provide limited follow-up in between. e-Psychiatry allows your clinician to keep track of your daily mood, medication adherence, and progress with our online tools. You also have the ability to message your provider through our online system, rather than having to call the therapists receptionist.

More Privacy: We know the uncomfortable feeling of sitting in a waiting room before seeing your therapist. e-Psychiatry takes the insecurity out of your therapy visits with online visits from your home. e-Psychiatry’s website is 100% HIPAA secure, and all of your data will remain confidential.

Quicker Appointments: The average wait times for in-person behavioral health appointments can be a long as 3 months! Here at e-Psychiatry we know how important it is that you get help quickly. Most of our patients are connected with a provider same-week.

What is the Experience of Seeing an Online Psychiatrist Like?

We know privacy and confidentiality is of utmost importance to the consumers we work with. We know how awkward it can be sitting in a crowded waiting room. People are naturally more stressed in a foreign environment like a therapist’s office. Take the stress out of your visits, by having the visit from the comfort of your home. Feeling less stressed allows you to be more open and sharing with your therapist–enabling quicker improvement.

e-Psychiatry allows you to see the therapist from the comfort of your favorite couch. Log into your appointment from your Mac, PC, desktop or tablet in just 30 seconds. Once your appointment is over, e-Psychiatry provides you with apps to track and improve your health. Everything to medication reminders, to mood tracking to helpful resources.

What Conditions Do Online Therapists Treat?

Anxiety, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Alcohol Use, Anger Management, Antisocial Personality, Autism, Borderline Personality Disorder, Marriage Issues, Eating Disorders, Gambling Addiction, Grief, Suicidal Thoughts, Mania, OCD, Opiate Use Disorder, Panic Disorder, and more.